Probiotics help quell ADHD, study suggests

A multi-strain probiotic lessened some ADHD symptoms and improved academic performance in a study of college students in Israel.

Hank Schultz, Senior Editor

November 14, 2024

3 Min Read
Probiotics may help ADHD sufferers, a new study suggests.

At a Glance

  • ADHD affects millions of adults worldwide. 
  • Probiotics are postulated to help via the gut-brain axis.
  • A study using a multi-strain probiotic showed some positive results.

A new study suggests that a multi-strain probiotic intervention can reduce some of the issues caused by ADHD. 

The new study was published in the journal Scientific Reports and was the work of researchers associated with Tel Hai College in Israel.  

The study authors claimed no funding grant or support from a company, but acknowledged the probiotics used and placebos were donated by Altman Health, an Israeli probiotics manufacturer. 

The authors noted ADHD affects an estimated 3% to 4% of the adult population worldwide.  

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the number even higher at 6% of the adult population in the U.S., or more than 15 million people. 

Dysregulated neurotransmitters postulated as part of problem 

The researchers noted modern understanding of ADHD involves the dysregulated secretion of some neurotransmitters and bioactive factors, including cortisol, “suggesting that abnormal diurnal cortisol secretion patterns and cortisol hyperreactivity, hallmarks of HPA axis dysregulation, are correlated with ADHD’s behavioral manifestations.” 

Probiotics have demonstrated effects on the secretion of cortisol. Via the gut-brain axis, probiotic supplementation could have a significant effect on ADHD symptoms, according to the researchers. 

Related:Study correlates higher folate intake with less knee pain and stiffness

To test their hypothesis, the researchers recruited 67 students from Tel Hai College who were between the ages of 19 and 30. All of the subjects were diagnosed with ADHD using an online assessment tool that was verified by a psychiatrist or psychologist. None of the subjects were taking medication to treat their ADHD symptoms. 

About two thirds of the subjects were women. 

The subjects were divided into two groups with each taking the probiotic intervention or a placebo daily for three months. 

Multi-strain probiotic used 

The multi-strain probiotic product consisted of 8 billion CFU (colony forming units) each of L. helveticus, B. animalis ssp. lactis, Enterococcus faecium, B. longum and Bacillus subtilis.  The researchers did not further characterize the strains with alpha-numeric designations. 

The subjects recorded their dietary intake through a questionnaire. A questionnaire approach was used to assess their quality of life as well. 

For ADHD-specific measurements, the researchers relied on a validated online test that measured attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and timing.  

They also recorded the grades the students received in their courses in the semester before the study and during the course of the intervention. 

Related:Ashwagandha extract cut stress in study

To assess cortisol secretions, the researchers relied on the chemical analysis of fingernail clippings from each participant. 

Results present mixed bag 

The results were mixed. Some of the ADHD symptoms measured through the online tool improved in the probiotic group, such as hyperactivity. Others did not, such as inattention and impulsiveness. 

The subjects in the probiotic group, on average, achieved higher grades during the study period than they did in the previous semester. The changes in average grades in the placebo group did not reach statistical significance. Only about two thirds of the subjects provided a detailed enough picture of their grades for an analysis to be performed. 

How these effects were achieved was murky because the cortisol levels — as measured in the fingernail analysis —did not show significant changes throughout the study period. 

The researchers still determined the results were promising enough to warrant a larger, follow-up study. 

“This double-blind RCT [randomized controlled trial] was the first to show significant improvements in ADHD symptoms among college students receiving probiotic supplementation. This study suggests probiotics as a potential treatment approach to ease ADHD symptoms in this population,” the researchers concluded. “The presented findings set the stage for larger multi-center trials designed to examine multi-strain probiotic formulas to enhance functional outcomes in individuals with ADHD.” 

Related:Study suggests astaxanthin may blunt inflammation among firefighters

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Hank Schultz

Senior Editor, Informa

Hank Schultz has been the senior editor of SupplySide Supplement Journal (formerly Natural Products Insider) since early 2023. He can be reached at [email protected]

Prior to joining the Informa team, he was an editor at NutraIngredients-USA, a William Reed Business Media publication.

His approach to industry journalism was formed via a long career in the daily newspaper field. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and German, Hank was an editor at the Tempe Daily News in Arizona. He followed that with a long stint working at the Rocky Mountain News, a now defunct daily newspaper in Denver, where he rose to be one of the city editors. The newspaper won two Pulitzer Prizes during his time there.

The changing landscape of the newspaper industry led him to explore other career paths. He began his career in the natural products industry more than a decade ago at New Hope Natural Media, which was then part of Penton and now is an Informa brand. Hank formed friendships and partnerships within the industry that still inform his work to this day, which helps him to bring an insider’s perspective, tempered with an objective journalist’s sensibility, to his in-depth reporting.

Harkening back to his newspaper days, Hank considers the readers to be the primary stakeholders whose needs must be met. Report the news quickly, comprehensively and above all, fairly, and readership and sponsorships will follow.

In 2015, Hank was recognized by the American Herbal Products Association with a Special Award for Journalistic Excellence.

When he’s not reporting on the supplement industry, Hank enjoys many outside pursuits. Those include long distance bicycle touring, mountain climbing, sailing, kayaking and fishing. Less strenuous pastimes include travel, reading (novels and nonfiction), studying German, noodling on a harmonica, sketching and a daily dose of word puzzles in The New York Times.

Last but far from least, Hank is a lifelong fan and part owner of the Green Bay Packers.

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